It is well known that firefighters and occupants of burning buildings encounter life-threatening situations when smoke and fire in the burning building render available air unsuitable to breath. Many techniques have been developed in the past to provide breathable air to firefighters and occupants in this environment. One well known technique is to provide firefighters with masks coupled to tanks of compressed air. This technique has the disadvantage that the air supply is limited. In one device, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,584, a water hose is provided with an air collar, wherein in an emergency situation, air may be forced through the water hose to provide air to a firefighter or stranded occupant in distress. This system has the disadvantage that it is bulky, and using a water hose to provide a source of air to a firefighter or trapped occupant necessarily removes the water hose from service for its intended purpose. In another system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,756, a breathing apparatus is disclosed wherein a breathing tube is inserted in the water trap of a toilet to expose one end of the breathing tube to air from a vent pipe connected to the sewer line connected to a toilet. While this technique may be effective, it provides a source of air which is less than desirable.
From the foregoing, no technique or apparatus is known which is compact and portable, and which readily provides a source of breathable air to a firefighter or occupant trapped in a burning building at any location in the building.